Nias

Sep 4, 2007 15:23 GMT  ·  By

These tiny people once spread horror among the visitors of their island. Besides their fearsome habit of cutting off heads, their origins, the carved stones inside the villages and the habit of hanging pig jaws on the girder of their houses are still mysteries.

Their ancestors, called Nihas ("people") believed they descended from gods and organized feasts during a wedding or a burial; on these occasions they used to cut off heads: of a child, of an old woman and of a neighbor. Arab merchants landing in the island quickly returned to their ships, 1,000 years ago, after hearing about such a habit.

The island of Nias is located 120 km north of Equator and 100 km east off Medan (north Sumatra). Even if Nias is a small island of only 120 km (80 mi) in length and 50 km (30 mi) wide, due to the head hunting from the past, tribes avoided one another, that's why there are 10 different native languages spoken on the island.

Still, the former head hunters practice agriculture: rice, rubber trees (Hevea), coconut palm trees, sugarcane and banana trees.

The houses are oval and the villages are surrounded by bamboo palisades, aimed at protection against the raids of the head hunters or slave traders.

But the main occupation of the Nias people is growing pigs. Hundreds of small, black pigs are carried to the trade markets packed in sacks made of palm leaves. The ancestors used to kill hundreds of pigs during their feasts, after which their jaws were hung on the girder of the house, on hooks resembling bird bills.

Today this is no longer practiced, but pork remains the main aliment of the islanders, always boiled, never roasted! During the feast celebrating a birth, marriage or burial, all the villagers are invited.

Inside the villages, located on hills, there are some mysterious stones. To reach them, you have to climb big staircases edged by a low grade on which one can see carved fish, reptiles, mythical and magic animals. The famous stones are on top of the hills, on the sides of a large and long street, paved with stone slabs, with houses sticking one to another like a wall.

Hundreds of them. Of all shapes, sizes and styles. Under the rectangular ones, which looked like small boats along the houses, women were buried. Others are big, heavy, flattened. Some are erect, like columns, having carved reliefs depicting crocodiles, lizards and the Sun. Some look like Louis XV-style tables. They were thrones for the village chieftains.

Others look like giant mushrooms, being female symbols. The fiance deposed such a stone in front of his future wife's house.

The villagers used to honor the most worthwhile individuals with the largest stones. The last one was risen during the 19th century by 500 people, using coconut made ropes. To rise a 3-4 tonnes stone, you just had to have enough food to offer for the people accomplishing the job.

The organizer gained prestige. His memory was kept alive by the stone after his death, as his name was carved on it.

The Nias houses had the shape of a ship, with a facade slightly arched to the street and a high roof, traditionally made of palm leaves. The houses were supported by pylons to isolate the floor from humidity and animals.

In the middle of each village, there was a big house, the highest, largest and most adorned: Omo Sabua, the chieftain's house. Sometimes, 120 pylons sustained such a house. Inside it, once there was no furniture, just the statues of the ancestors.

Today, concrete replaced most of the wood pylons in Nias and islanders live more to the low areas. Tourists, too, are safe: head hunting is gone for good...

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Nias village
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